^ 



■"m^ 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEB. 



FASH8, &C. 



^'iie committee appointed for that purpose, 

 &f''i now engaged in making examinations of 

 ^'irms, nurseries, &c., entered for premiums. 

 Their awards will be made public at the Janu- 

 ary meeting of the executive committee. 



PREMIUMS FOB 1858 



Talcott, Emmerson & Oo., of Rockford, in 

 addition to their munificent donation of a mow- 

 er and reaper for the best forty acres of spring 

 wheat, the crop of 1857, have generously ofi^er- 

 ed the society another mower and reaper, 

 (which has been accepted,) for the best forty 

 acres or more of winter wheat, the crop of 1858 

 — statements, &c., to be furnished the society 

 as in 1857. 



B. Kuhns, Dayton, Ohio, has also proffered to 

 the society, (which has been accepted,) one of 

 his drills, to sow a width of seven feet, and to 

 be worth $150, for the best forty acres of drilled 

 wheat, the growth of 1858. 



TRANSACTIONS OF 1856 AND 1857. 



These will be ready for delivery in a few 

 days. County Societies and persons entitled to 

 copies through this office, will pleiise give direc- 

 tions how the books are to be forwarded to 

 them. If copies are sent by mail, the applicant 

 must furnish means to pre-pay tiie postage, — 

 thirty-three cents for each volume. 



'^ PREMIUM LIST. 



A limited number of the list of premiums 

 awarded at the fair of 1857, can be had on ap- 

 plication at this office. 



PREMIUMS. 



There are yet remaining in my bands medals 

 awarded at the fair of 1856. The rightful own- 

 ers of these medals, and others to whom are due 

 premiums, medals and plate, can obtain them 

 on application to the undersigned Arrange- 

 ments have been made to secure the execution 

 of a Diploma which shall be worthy of the So- 

 ciety and of those to whom diplomas are awarded, 

 and which will be forwarded by laail or other- 

 wise as soon as completed. 



GENERAL COMMITTEE OF STATE AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The members of the general committee of 

 the State Agricultural Society, as well as the 

 Secretaries of the Cou nty Societies, are requ ested 

 to furnish the undersigned with the proceedings 

 of the respective County Agricultural Societies 

 for the present year. A condeni^ed report of 

 the history of such societies, stating what has 

 been done, what is intended to be done, and fu- 

 ture prospects, would be regarded as of great 

 Talue. We desire to obtain the material for giv- 

 ing to the County Agricultural Societies the 

 prominence they deserve in the traDsaetions of 

 1857-'58. 



FAIR OF 1858. 



The Executive Committee will receive propo- 

 sals at their next January meeting for the loca- 

 tion of the State Fair for 1858. 



MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 



The Executive Committee of the Society will 

 meet at the Corresponding Secretary's office in 



Springneld, on Wednesday, January 6th, 1858. 



S. FRANCIS, 

 Cor. Sec. m. State Ag. Soc. 

 WS' Editors in this State are most respect- 

 fully requested to publish the ^bove. 



II^IilNOIS STATE FAIR OF 18ST. 



REPORT: 



NATURAL HISTORY, GEOLOGY, &e. 



S. Francis, Coresponding Secretary, 



Illinois State Agricultural Society: 



According to appointment I attended the 

 State Fair at Peoria, which occapied the 

 2 1st and 25th of September, 1857, 



The duties of my superintendency were 

 not burthensorae, the number of entries in 

 that department being small. This, how- 

 ever, is nothing extraordinary. The scien- 

 tific interest felt in the coantiy has seldom 

 been called forth on occasions of this kiad. 

 I may here remark that the fear of con- 

 fiscation has kept the best specimens in 

 Geolngy and Minerology from being pre- 

 sented, most men of science attaching a far 

 higher value to their specimens than to even 

 the highest awards of a State Fair. 



The number of entries, however, was 

 quite respectable, and many of them 

 of great value. An admirable col- 

 lection was presented "for exhibition" by 

 Mr. Freeman, of LaSalle county. Had 

 this been regularly entered for competition, 

 it would have taken several of the beat 

 premiums. As it was, however, it gave 

 intimation of the mineral resources of oor 

 State and did great credit to the zeal and 

 scientific enterprise of the gentleman who 

 had, with so much labor and care, collected 

 and arranged it. 



Of native woods, there wore two collec- 

 tions presented, one of which contained 

 ninety-two varieties. In this class, how- 

 ever. I think there has been less interest, 

 hitherto, than its importance demands. 

 The Botany of the State seems not yet ,to 

 have awakened any general interest; though 

 I was pleased to find a few zealous devo- 

 tees of this branch of science, from whose 

 labors we have mnch to expect. 



The lime which was entered was of a 

 superior quality ; though it was matter of 

 regret that none came from any other poiot 

 than Alton. The impression seems to hare 

 gotten abroad that the stone of this vicinity, 

 (Alton,) is superior to that of any other 

 part of the State, or of the Mississippi 

 Valley. Of the correctness of this im- 

 pression I have much doubt, as the same 

 rock, in respect of geological position, may 



